Mode op taking yeas and nays in legislative bodies



R.E.MONAG-HAN. COUNTING THE YEAS AND NAYS.

No. 5,469. Patented Mar. 14, 1848.,

placed inside of the desk.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

R. E. MONAGHAN, OF LIVERPOOL, PENNSYLVANIA.

MODE OF TAKING YEAS AND NAYS IN LEGISLATIVE BODIES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 5,469, dated March 14, 1848.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Rom. EMMETT MON- AGHAN, of Liverpool, in the county of Perry and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful machine for taking the yeas and nays of legislatlve and other deliberative assemblies, which machine I call the vox populi and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The nature of my invention consists in obtaining the correct vote of any and all deliberative assemblies, by machinery, instead of the ordinary methods by ballot or owa @006.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an end view of the machine by which the vote is recorded, and an oblique view of a desk in a distant part of any legislative hall. Fig. 2, is an oblique view of a series of indexes, sufficient for six members to record their votes. Fig. 3, is an oblique view of the carriage on which the list of yeas and nays is placed.

In Fig. 1, that portion of the drawing on which the word Desk is stamped represents the desk of a member of any delibera; tive body. Y and N are two knobs fixed on two wireswhich penetrate into the desk near the ends, and each is attached to one arm of a triangular piece of iron or elbow similar to the triangles which work on the screws in the posts O and D, in this figure and which are represented by dotted lines at one end of the desk. These triangles are E, B, represent the floor on which the desk stands. The numbers 1, 1, 2, 2, and 3, 3, are wires by which the triangles which work in the ends of the desk and on the screws in the posts O, D, and E, G, are connected. This construction is similar to that for ringing bells.

That part of the machine by which the yeas and nays are recorded is intended to be placed at or near the clerks desk, and consists of a series of lancet-formed indexes; it requiring a nay and yea index for each member. The following is a description of the indexes for an individual member and the operation of recording the vote :7, 7, in Fig. 1 is the platform on which the machine stands. On the lower ends of the wires 4, 4, are eyes through which the hooks on the wires 8, 3, pass. These two wires 4, 4, work on small pins or screws in the iron or steel indexes Y and N at 5 0. These indexes work on the screws in the posts J and H. The extremities of these indexes at i, 2', are made quite sharp in the form and manner of lancets and are intended to out small slits in the list of yeas and nays, in a right line witheach otherone on each side of the name of him who occupies the desk to which the above described wires extend. The name of the member is in the same line wit-h, and im mediately between the two indexes. The Y lancet cuts a slit on one side of the name for yea, and the N lancet on the other side for nay. 6 and 6 are two fixed guards or checks to prevent too much force being applied to the lancets. K and K, are two springs by which the indexes Y and N are raised from the paper of the list of yeas and nays from one half to one inch in height, so soon as the hand of the voting member is removed from the knobs at the desk; and by these springs the indexes are kept elevated, as is the index Y, until the member at the desk wishes to record his vote when he forces either of them down by pulling the knobs at the desk, as is the index N. The member, therefore who desires to record his vote, has merely to touch the knob Y if he desires to vote yea, or the knob N if he desires to vote nay.

To prevent any part of this machine from being disarranged or strained, by the application of too much force at the knobs, at the desk, there may, also, be spiral-springs constructed on the wires between the triangles working in the posts O, D, and E G.

The unlettered triangles, wires, indexes, &c., in Fig. 1, opposite to those already described, are merely intended to show the relative positions of the indexes &c. by which the votes are recorded on the two columns of the list of yeas and nays. That portion of this figure (No. 1) shaded with the pen represents the end view of the carriage on which the list, of members names, is placed. This carriage is made of steel, brass, or any other metal, and works in the dove-tail grooves at R, R, that it may be drawn out and slid back again at pleasure; so that when the list of names is placed upon it, it can he slid immediately under the indexes, and each mans name will come directly opposite his Y and N lancet indexes. The small aperture between the lower and upper parts of the carriage 8 and 8 shows the edge of the paper and names. This upper part of the carriage is a light frame working upon hinges as seen in drawing No.8 and is designed to keep the list of names in the proper place on the carriage.

Fig. 3 is the carriage with the upper part raised to receive the list of yeas and nays. R, E, M, is the frame part, which works on the hinges n, n. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, are chambers into which the indexes pass when they cut through the paper. 7', m, are two small pins which pass through the list of names, and, also, through the small holes 0, p, in the frame R, E, M, when it is shut down. These pins prevent the paper from moving upon the carriage. The lists of names are printed upon sheets of paper corresponding in size with this carriage, and so arranged in order that each members name will be immediately between some two of the chambers A, B, or C, D, and that, when the carriage is slid into its proper place, it will have the same relative position as the indexes have.

Fig. No. 2 is a series of lancet indexes. Those marked Y being the yeas, and those marked N being the nays. A, B, C, D, are the posts in which the heels of the indexes work. The carriage in this figure is in the position it is required to be when the vote is recorded.

In all these figures the actual size of the indexes, posts and carriage, for practical use, is representecL-it requiring an increase in the number of indexes and length of carriage, in proportion to the increase of the number of members. The wires and triangles may be made any convenient size.

I do not claim moving an index by means of wires connected therewith; but

1. I claim the use of indices furnished with a point which is to perforate the paper upon which yeas and nays are to be taken in legislative bodies, said perforations being in the present connection a simple and at the same time indelible mode of recording the vote.

2. I also claim using a movable frame or carriage to which the record of votes is attached, for the purpose of enabling me to place the apparatus for recording in any suit-able part of the hall from which the carriage with the list of yeas and nays may be carried directly to the speakers table; and I also claim in combination with the lancet or perforating indices the manner of constructing the carriage viz: with a perforated plate, frame R, E, M and pins, and holes j, m,- 0, 79, as set forth.

B. E. MONAGHAN.

lVitnesses A. B. STOUGHTON, S. T. SHUGERT. 

